BGA: Scouting Ras-I Dowling

Throughout this month, I've been looking at some of the players the Jets have added to the active roster since the end of the regular season. Jets fans might not know too much about these players, so I'll be looking at NFL game footage to try and assess what they might be able to bring to the table.

Today we look at cornerback Ras-I Dowling. The 25-year old is 6'1" and 210 pounds and was a second round pick for the New England Patriots in 2011. However, he was released before the 2013 season after a series of injuries limited him over his first few years. The Jets signed him to their practice squad in October and signed him to a futures contract at the end of the season.

After the jump, I look in detail at footage from Dowling's career so far to evaluate some of his strengths and weaknesses.

Who is Ras-I Dowling?

Dowling was a great athlete in high school, playing defensive back, wide receiver and even some quarterback. He was recruited to Virginia where he was a second team all-ACC selection in 2009 and a preseason second team all-American in 2010. However, an ankle injury limited him to five games in his senior season. After he ran an unexpectedly-fast 4.40 at the scouting combine, many sources had him listed as a potential first round pick, but New England were able to take him with the first pick of the second round.

Despite missing the first three preseason games as a rookie, Dowling was an opening day starter at right cornerback. However, in week two, he suffered a hip injury in the first half, ending his season. In his second season, he started off as the third cornerback, playing on the outside in nickel packages on opening day. However, over the next five weeks, we was relegated to dime corner, playing in the slot and getting just 24 snaps in five games. In week seven (against the Jets) he had a much more significant role, but then suffered another season ending injury, this time to his thigh. He was released at the end of preseason in 2013 after another unspecified injury caused him to miss all four preseason games.

Despite missing the first three games, Dowling played a significant role in the final preseason game against the Giants and won a starting job for the opener. He had three tackles and a quarterback hit. He did give up a couple of catches, one downfield as he stumbled when the receiver made his break to the outside and another on third and six when he was playing too far off. On one running play he showed good physicality by knocking his blocker on his backside to go and pursue the ball. There was also a play where the quarterback's initial option to his left was not open, so he looked towards Dowling's man. However, Dowling had made an effective jam at the line and was right up on the receiver, so the quarterback ran out of time and was sacked on a delayed blitz up the middle.

2011 Week One - at Miami

Miami wasted no time at all in going after Dowling, who was in man coverage on Brandon Marshall on the first play of the game. Chad Henne threw a quick-drop deep fade and Marshall was able to catch the slight underthrow for 25 coming back to the ball. Dowling was right with Marshall down the sideline, but didn't get his head turned around in time to anticipate the underthrow. They later targeted him again, hitting Devone Bess for 26 on a slant route where Dowling was too far off and then missed his tackle from behind. However, Dowling was targeted four more times and did not give up another catch.

On one play, they tried to hit Marshall at the goal line, but Dowling closed to hit him in the back as the ball arrived, forcing a drop. On another, they threw a fade to Brian Hartline on fourth and goal at the one and Dowling was draped all over him as a slight overthrow fell incomplete. Dowling again never got his head turned though. That was a big play because it would have cut the score to 31-24 but Tom Brady threw a 99-yard touchdown pass on the next snap to make it a 38-17 game.

Dowling did have one penalty, on a play where he let Hartline get an outside release and couldn't resist grabbing him. The throw in the other direction was completed anyway, so this was declined. He ended up with two tackles, including one on a play where he came off his man and chased the receiver out of bounds on a short pass. He also gave up an 11-yard catch on 2nd and 13, closing to make the tackle on the completion in front of him, but this was negated by a penalty.

Week Two - v San Diego

Dowling was targeted once here, with Malcolm Floyd coming down with a 23-yard catch in a crowd. From watching the film, it seems harsh to mark down Dowling on this play as he had safety support deep and seemed to pass Floyd off. He had one tackle and made another in run support downfield on a negated run. He was injured before halftime on a play where he was not involved in the action.

2012 Preseason

Dowling made a couple of starts in preseason in 2012 and ended up with 11 tackles and a pass defensed. In the first game against the Saints, he made a couple of good plays, preventing Chris Ivory from bouncing a run outside and coming up to wrench the ball away from a running back underneath to cause an incompletion. In the next game, he didn't get exploited in coverage but was in on a few tackles, including one on special teams. He did struggle to get off a block on one screen pass, but did force the receiver outside and eventually made the tackle. The third game saw him give up a 10 yard catch as he was playing off but closed into tight coverage and almost deflected the pass. He also assisted on a tackle in the flat. Finally, in the fourth game, he came off his man to make a good tackle on a tight end underneath then had another open field tackle in the two minute drill. He gave up a couple of short catches underneath where he was in tight coverage.

2012 Week One - at Tennessee

In this game, Dowling was targeted four times and gave up four catches. However, they only totaled 30 yards. On the longest of these Dowling was playing press coverage. He jammed the receiver, giving up an inside release and disrupting his route, but the quarterback was able to adjust and hit him in stride going across the middle and Dowling's missed tackle led to a 17 yard gain. He gave up another 12 on a 2nd and 17 play where he bailed at the snap and was giving up the easy yardage underneath. Another was just a four yard dump off in front of him. The last one was a great play by Dowling as the Titans were backed up near their goal line and tried to run a wide receiver screen. Dowling anticipated well and closed quickly before the slot receiver could block him to wrap him up the ball carrier and bring him down in the end zone. The receiver got forward progress, so it wasn't a safety, but the play lost three yards.

Dowling had four tackles in all and was also flagged for defensive pass interference on a play where the receiver made an inside break and Dowling grabbed him from behind at the marker.

Week Two - Week Six

Dowling didn't see any action at all on defense in week two and was used sparingly over the next four games. The most action he saw was 10 snaps against the Broncos in week five. In week three, he played just four snaps and did give up a first down catch but it was negated by a penalty. On the play, he was playing in the slot and the tight end ran faked an out-route and then circled back inside, although Dowling was all over him as the ball arrived. In week four, he played five snaps and targeted once, making the tackle for a short gain on a screen pass, although the runner did slip. In the Denver game, he gave up a seven yard pass on second and 10, keeping the play in front of him and making the immediate tackle. He also assisted on a tackle downfield. He played just five snaps in week six and was not targeted.

Week Seven - v New York Jets

In this game, Dowling was given a more substantial role, but then suffered a season ending injury after having played 22 snaps. He was called for two penalties and had a costly missed tackle, but did make a couple of nice plays in coverage. The only catch he gave up was on a third down play where he was keying Dustin Keller across the field and looked to have him wrapped up short of a first down, only for Keller to slip his tackle and dive for the marker. His first penalty was also on Keller as he was playing very physical coverage and did appear to grab him slightly as he made his break on a throw down the middle. He also made contact as the ball arrived. The second was meaningless, as it was away from the ball on a play that went for a first down anyway. This looked dubious as he was called for holding Stephen Hill at the line.

Dowling did a good job on two throws to Chaz Schilens. One, on third down, saw him do a good job of making contact within five yards and then disrupting the in-route by getting his hand in ahead of the throw. The other was on a throw to the end zone as he was draped all over the receiver's back on a quick slant.

Here's my observations from watching the footage, divided into categories:

Usage

Dowling mostly played at right cornerback in the regular season action he saw, other than in the 2012 season where he was relegated to a slot role in dime sets. He has also played plenty of left cornerback in preseason action.

Coverage skills

Dowling is a physical corner and seemed to be in tight coverage most of the time, even on plays where he gave up a catch. He seemed to make strides from year one to year two in terms of getting his head turned around. When playing off coverage, he would sometimes leave too much of a cushion, but not as often as - or to the same extent as - most young players. There were no real examples of him being badly beaten, which is impressive.

Athleticism

Pre-draft scouting reports on Dowling suggested he would excel more in a zone-based or Tampa 2 style scheme because he lacked elite speed, but his 4.40 forty yard dash at the combine raised some eyebrows. His recovery speed, thought to be a weakness, does seem to be pretty good and he can run with his man well on the intermediate and underneath routes. Interestingly, rather than run with his man on a go-route, there were times when Dowling would pass his man off to a deep safety and pick up a safety value underneath or in the flat instead. That's obviously a scheme-based decision from the Patriots to play zone, but I'd say it has more to do with the coverage abilities of their deep safety (Devin McCourty, a converted corner) than being specifically designed to mask any deficiencies in Dowling's ability to run stride for stride.

Physicality

With excellent size - he's basically the same as or bigger than every safety on the Jets roster apart from Brandon Hardin - Dowling can be extremely physical and is often, albeit not always, employed in press coverage. He does a good job of disrupting routes and getting a jam at the line, but occasionally risks a flag by being a bit too hands-on. He didn't do too much in terms of tackle numbers, but certainly didn't shy away from contact.

Run defense

Operating mainly on the outside unless it was a passing down, there weren't many chances for Dowling to get involved in run support. He did make a few downfield tackles on longer runs. There was one play where he got in on a tackle on a run up the middle, but the runner was able to push the pile for a short yardage conversion.

Tackling

Dowling did miss a couple of tackles, but these were really due to being a step behind his receiver in coverage rather than poor technique. Where he did make tackles, he seemed to be relatively solid with two of the more impressive ones seeing him stop a tight end in his tracks in the open field and wrapping up Ivory on the edge and hauling him to the ground, nearly causing a fumble. He did seem to take good angles.

Blitzing

Dowling has never blitzed in an NFL regular season game and only had one sack in four years in college. However, he did blitz once from left cornerback in a preseason game, hitting the quarterback unblocked off the edge and forcing a deliberate throw away out of bounds. With his size and speed, he could be useful in such situations in some of Rex Ryan's blitz packages.

Ball skills

Dowling did manage to get his hands on a couple of balls in the footage I watched and helped disrupt a couple of passes with good timing. In college, he showed an ability to pick off passes, with eight in his first three seasons, but he doesn't have an interception at any level since 2009.

Instincts

Dowling's instincts were something that were identified as one of his main strengths in pre-draft scouting reports. He showed evidence of that here, coming off his man when appropriate to make a tackle or jump on another route. I didn't see any examples of him blowing an assignment.

Demeanor

I wouldn't say Dowling was especially demonstrative, but did get fired up when he made a play and did protest when flagged, which is of course the Patriot Way.

Special teams

Dowling didn't make many special teams contributions. In one preseason game he did chase across the field to force a runner out of bounds at the 25 in kickoff coverage and in another he recovered a fumble by Julian Edelman while operating as the vice on the punt return unit. However, that didn't ultimately matter because Edelman had been interfered with - by a gunner who had blown by Dowling in the first place. With his injury history, the Jets might shy away from using him on special teams altogether.

Injuries

This is the key, as Dowling missed most of his senior year with an ankle injury, suffered season ending hip and thigh injuries in 2011 and 2012 and then got hurt again in camp in 2013 with what I believe was a leg injury, but the Patriots never disclosed details.

Off-field issues

I can't find any reports of off-field issues for Dowling.

Conclusions:

Once again, this comes down to whether Dowling can get himself healthy, which frankly - given his recent history - doesn't seem very likely.

However, if that does happen, Dowling actually might have more upside than any of these recent reclamation projects the Jets have signed. New England have thrown a lot of resources at the cornerback position in the past few years, trying to find a decent mix, so it's not necessarily a reflection on his ability levels that Bill Belichick and his staff lost patience with his inability to stay on the field. The Patriots have jettisoned defensive backs in the past that have gone on to display competence elsewhere, including Darius Butler - a 2009 second rounder who has done a solid job with the Colts over the past two years following a year with the Panthers.

Reports from last summer suggest that Dowling was working with the first unit and many of the New England coaches wanted him to start opposite Aqib Talib and ahead of Alfonzo Dennard last year, only for his injury to shunt him back down the depth chart and ultimately off the roster. The fact that the Jets have had him in their system for over six months means that they should have a good idea about his physical condition and the chances of him remaining healthy.

From the footage I watched, I'd say Dowling was impressive but perhaps more from a potential standpoint than in terms of the actual results he had. One of the most intriguing things was that he showed some clear improvements from year one to year two (and may have made further strides in his third year if the reports about him being a potential starter are accurate).

It's too soon to close the book on Dowling's career, as he clearly has the potential to be a starter-level player at the NFL level. Whether the Jets will be the ones that benefit from him finally being able to remain healthy and regain the impetus in his career development remains to be seen, but this is at the very least a nice piece they've added into the mix.

We'll wrap up this series next weekend with a look at safety Brandon Hardin, a 2012 third round pick signed by the Jets in January.

Jets-49ers Week 14 Game Preview

SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano feels the Jets need to keep Bryce Petty under control and let Matt Forte lead the attack against the 49ers.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.TV:

THE GAME: The Jets (3-9) at the San Francisco 49ers (1-11) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4:05 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER: After a few days of rain in the bay area -- which should do wonders for the generally bad field there -- it looks like things will be dry on game day. But it'll be cloudy with temperatures in the upper 50s or maybe around 60 with light winds.

WHAT IT MEANS: Yawn. … Oh, sorry, what was the question? Right, the meaning of this game. Well, it's mostly about draft order, I guess. Currently, the 49ers are picking second and the Jets are picking fourth or fifth. A win and the Jets put themselves in danger of slipping closer to the bottom of the Top 10. A loss, though, and they've got some potential for a Top 3 pick if things break right. Or wrong. Whatever. Also, I suppose this game has meaning if you're on the Todd Bowles Watch.

FNNY presented by Jeep: Common for NFL players to not remember games?

12:20AM

The FNNY panel touches on the report that Brandon Marshall told the Daily News he doesn't remember scoring three touchdowns in a 2014 game.

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GEICO SportsNite: Jets place Nick Mangold on season-ending IR

12:06AM

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GEICO SportsNite: Mangold to IR00:01:25

Willie Colon comments on Nick Mangold's career after the Jets placed him on injured reserve.

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Wilkerson says 'tighter coverage' would have led to more sacks

Dec 8 | 7:30PM

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New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) celebrates a sack with teammates during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (Peter Morgan/AP)

Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson responded "maybe a little tighter coverage and we get those sacks" when asked why New York was held to one sack in their 41-10 loss to the Colts Monday.

Fitzpatrick to serve as backup QB behind Petty

Dec 6 | 4:55PM

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as New York's backup quarterback for the remainder of the season, while rookie QB Christian Hackenberg will not play unless starting QB Bryce Petty suffers an injury, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Tuesday.

Bowles named Petty the starting quarterback following Monday night's embarrassing 41-10 loss to the Colts, relegating Fitzpatrick to the backup role.

When asked if the rookie quarterback would see any playing time this season, Bowles was quick to say only an injury would lead to Hackenberg taking the field.

TJB Post Game Podcast: Bryce Petty and the Heartbreakers

Dec 6 | 3:59PM

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The Jets are free fallin, while Corey Griffin and Brian Bassett have their green hearts broken and are at a loss for answers. But they do find your voicemails…and talk about Bryce Petty, Todd Bowles, an uncertain future, and a nifty play by the pylon.

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Jets waive C.J. Spiller and Jeremy Ross

Dec 6 | 3:10PM

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New York Jets receiver Jeremy Ross (10) returns a kick-off against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. (Charles LeClaire)

New York also announced the signing of WR Darius Jennings to the practice squad, who will take the place of WR Mario Alford, who has been released.

Spiller signed with the Jets on Nov. 2 after playing two games for Seattle. Spiller appeared in four games with the Jets, returning five kickoffs for an average of 19.1 yards per return, along with recording three rushes and one reception on offense.

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BGA: Insight and analysis from Week 13

By Bent | Dec 6 | 12:15PM

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(Ed Mulholland)

The Jets were crushed by the Colts, 41-10, on Monday night at MetLife Stadium as they fell to 3-9 on the season. Bryce Petty replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick during the game and will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Here's insight and analysis regarding the Jets' awful Monday night performance...

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance speaks for itself. He only completed one pass beyond the first down marker, had a completion percentage below 50 percent, and punctuated his performance with an interception on the kind of forced throw he's been unable to get away with all season.

Bowles names Petty starting quarterback for remainder of season

Dec 6 | 12:08AM

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles named Bryce Petty the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, barring injury, after he replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick midway through Monday's 41-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Bowles said he planned to name Petty the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the year regardless of what happened Monday, adding that Fitzpatrick's ineffectiveness -- 5-for-12, 81 yards, no touchdowns and one interception -- in the loss to the Colts did not factor into the decision.

Petty completed 11 of 25 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions as he replaced Fitzpatrick for the second half, entering a 31-3 game.

Dec 5 | 11:46PM

Andrew Luck was nearly perfect in his return from a concussion, throwing for four touchdowns, three to Dwayne Allen, in the Indianapolis Colts' 41-10 romp Monday night past the inept New York Jets.

Not that Luck had to work very hard against the hosts, who were booed by a much-less-than-filled MetLife Stadium almost from the outset.

Luck missed last week's loss to Pittsburgh, cleared the NFL's concussion protocol on the weekend, and came back in style with a prime-time performance. He lifted Indianapolis (6-6) into a tie for the lead in the AFC South with Tennessee and Houston.

A witness said an argument took place between McKnight and the shooter before the shooter opened fire multiple times.

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What did you think about the Jets' game?

Dec 5 | 11:15PM

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We want to hear from you! What did you think of today's Jets game?

Record a reaction or question about the game, which may be used during TheJetsBlog Post Game Podcast, call 1 (831) 769-6387 or use this to record a message (please remember to leave your name and city):

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles benched starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in favor of backup Bryce Petty for the second half of Monday's game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium.

Fitzpatrick completed 5 of 12 passes for 81 yards with an interception and a 30.2 passer rating as the Jets trailed 24-3 at halftime.

Petty is making his first game appearance since Week 10, a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in which he went 19-for-32 with 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Jets honor Joe McKnight with pregame moment of silence

Dec 6 | 7:16AM

New York Jets running back Joe McKnight walks back to the locker room following practice at SUNY Cortland. (Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE)

The New York Jets have held a moment of silence before their game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium to honor former running back Joe McKnight, killed last Thursday in Louisiana.

Authorities said McKnight, 28, was shot during a road rage incident that was possibly sparked by a driver cutting off another on a nearby bridge in Terrytown, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The shooter was identified by police as Ronald Gasser, 54, and he was released overnight, drawing criticism.

McKnight was rated the nation's No. 1 running back recruit when he came out of Louisiana in 2006 and signed with the University of Southern California. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2010 and played three seasons for New York. He spent a season with Kansas City, and most recently played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Petty started against the Rams in Week 10 when Ryan Fitzpatrick was out with an injury, and completed 19 of 32 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It was the first, and so far the only, start of his career.

While some have questioned why Todd Bowles has not given the young quarterback more opportunities to prove himself, many believe it is because Petty has simply not shown enough during practice to earn the starting job.

During the season, Bent's Game Analysis charts games for some of the New York Jets' upcoming opponents, enabling a breakdown of what to watch out for on game day…

This week's Monday Night Football will see the Jets hosting the 5-6 Indianapolis Colts. Despite having endured a disappointing year so far, the Colts were just one game out of first place in the AFC South entering this weekend. The Colts have lost three of their last four games, albeit to three potential playoff teams in Green Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The teams met early last year with the Jets defeating the Colts 20-7, again on Monday Night Football, in one of the best performances of the Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan era.

TheJetsBlog Podcast: Are the Jets Better Off Today?

Dec 4 | 11:54AM

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Brian Bassett welcomes Brian Costello of the New York Post to the podcast, and they take a deep dive into the question of whether or not the Jets are better off today than the day when Woody Johnson flipped the switch from the John Idzik/Rex Ryan regime, to the current Mike Maccagnan/Todd Bowles duo. Later, SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano joins the show to talk about his Thursday conversation with Darrelle Revis at Florham Park, and to share his thoughts on Revis' future with the Jets.

Jets future up in the air for Revis, who wants to play in 2017

Darrelle Revis has made it pretty clear that he intends to play in 2017, telling SNY "I still have a lot of football to play." He even thinks he can still play football at a high level.

But at what position? And for whom? Neither of those answers are clear just yet. And though it's certainly possible that the Jets will simply part ways with the greatest cornerback they've ever had, a team source insisted not to rule Revis out of the Jets' 2017 plans just yet.

TJB Roundtable: Looking on the bright side

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the Faustian bargain made by Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets on the eve of training camp signaled the end. Since then the trajectory of this team has been steadily downward: horrifying play at QB, the season-ending injury to Eric Decker, the immolation of Darrelle Revis as "player who gives a damn" … it has been rough. Hell, even Muhammad Wilkerson's reputation looks to be streaking down the Alpine Slide at Action Park!

But since we're Jets fans, we are notorious gluttons for punishment. So rather than dwell on all the bad stuff … what causes for hope do you have from what you've seen this season, Bent?

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Gailey tries to evaluate Petty, Hackenberg despite lack of game time

Dec 2 | 8:06AM

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New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty throws the ball during warmups before a game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Scott Galvin/USA Today Sports Images)

New York Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said young quarterbacks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg need to get all the reps they can get to continue to develop.

Though the Jets have decided to turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback for the foreseeable future, Gailey said Petty "needs all of the work he can get," according to NJ.com's Connor Hughes.

"It helps to play in games. ... The probability in games, you've got a lot better idea of what's going to happen," Gailey said. "In practice, you only have about a 75 percent probability of how they're going to be, how they're to play, and how they're going to progress."

Petty has started just one game -- a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 -- this season before head coach Todd Bowles opted to make Fitzpatrick, who led New York to 10 wins last season, the starter again.

Revis weighs in on retirement, possible move to safety, and more

Ralph Vacchiano reports from the Jets facility on the Darrelle Revis rumors of him possibly retiring after the 2016 season.

Darrelle Revis, the embattled Jets cornerback, insists that he has given no thought to retirement despite his age and his struggles this season, and that his love for the game of football is as strong as ever. In fact, in an interview with SNY.tv on Thursday, he said any questions about how much he still wants to play are "really bizarre."

That was the 31-year-old Revis' response to the latest round of criticism in what has become a miserable season for the future Hall of Famer. He has struggled on the field in a season he admits is "definitely not" up to his personal standards, and the shots he's taken in the media have been relentless at times.

The latest came in a report in the New York Daily News on Wednesday that quoted a "confidant" of the cornerback saying "If he had his way he'd be done right now. He doesn't want to play anymore."